ATTRACT MODE is a side story based on a group of characters -- Nate and his friends, Cliff and Stevie -- conceived during a sleepless schoolnight devoted to a bi-weekly Creative Writing assignment. It explores the relationships between the three protagonists who encounter seem-ingly odd situations and places; they find themselves thrust into underwater caves, black holes, and giant mushroom valleys where one can go air-surfing, as opposed to normal everyday situations.

In the face of chaos, Nate must learn to fight his own boss battles and discover the nature of love (though he isn’t quite there yet). Heavily influenced by such series as Scott Pilgrim and Adventure Time, as well as the stylistic conventions of Japanese manga, ATTRACT MODE is a lighthearted, simple story abounding with surreal humor, fantastical worlds, and geeky references. It is recommended for any reader in search of a happy feeling or a way to pass the time.

ATTRACT MODE

Beiatrix Pedrasa

My graphic novel is about a roboticist named Jade who has admired the superheroes in comic books ever since she was very young. She overcomes different kinds of obstacles with the help of her colleagues and finally creates a “functional” superhero robot named David.

The childish or casual style of the book doesn’t seem to match the seriousness of the issues mentioned in David’s adventure but I hope this kind of combination can convey the complicated feelings felt by people who often face these problems.

Readers can interpret this story in many different ways, but there isn’t anything against any specific country that I want to present in this story. I hope they will have fun reading this story and have a broader view of the issues around it at the same time.

I was inspired by Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese. I learned that simple figures and stories could convey deep and important ideas. Furthermore, I now know the backgrounds the characters are in can represent their emotions too.

The most interesting thing I learned from the graphic novels I have read so far is that I can get many different messages from the same story or even the same character. I hope the readers can find my story interesting in that way.

OREH

Heywood Ye